Philema
by DittyWrites
Summary: Prompt - Philema (kiss): Riddler/Catwoman


"Do you recall our first kiss?"

The question came unexpectedly and it caught her a little off-guard but she was quick to recover, "Do you mean our only kiss?"

Smirking at her response, Edward leaned forward in his chair and placed his elbows on the edge of the table as he folded his arms, "Excuse my choice of phrase," his tone was honeyed, "I am cursed with the attitude of an unfortunate optimist. Do you recall it?"

She did.

The shared kiss which had occurred under false pretenses. She had been in a a state of subconsciousness, her dreams influenced by a mild exposure to fear toxin, and she had awoken to find that instead of holding Batman in her arms she was holding and kissing him.

Edward Nygma.

The shock of the event had angered her and, despite his protests of innocence, she had kicked his ass over the balcony of her room and into the waiting sea below. The kiss was not unpleasant but she had been in a somewhat unforgiving mood. While she did not believe that he had forced a kiss on her while she was unaware, she was still pissed about it since she had initiated it without her conscious consent.

"Yes I do," she confessed before adding, "I also remember discovering that the reason I was under the effects of fear toxin in the first place was due to your using me as a means to discover Batmans' identity." She had forgiven him in the time passed, but she would not forget. "I haven't forgotten that particular fact."

"Just as i have been unable to forget about the four inch scars decorating my lower hip which were clawed into my flesh by a rabid lion after you and your little friends used me as bait for the good Doctor Aesop," Edward sighed dramatically, "our working relationship is tumultuous at best, dear. It's best not to hold grudges."

"That it is," she tapped her nails on the desk, "So why do you ask? Are you recalling the last time you had contact with a woman, Eddie?" She tilted her head as she teased him lightly.

"You wound me," lifting his green bowler hat, he ruffled his auburn hair before placing the hat down on the table before him, "and it was only a question. You were one of the few people to ever spend a length of time with me back in the early days of my criminal career."

"Lucky me." She rolled her eyes.

Ignoring her comment, he zeroed his gaze at her, intelligent eyes ready to analyse whatever response she gave to his next question, "Was it enjoyable?"

"I am unsure," she confessed, seeing no reason to lie to him, "as soon as I realised what was happening I was too angry to focus on the experience itself."

"Did I ever apologise for that?" Frowning, Edward pursed his lips as he searched his memory, "Not the kiss, that was your fault, but for the exposure to the fear toxin? I calculated exactly how much I would need to affect you without damaging your mind or body but the emotional toll was intentional and I have experienced moments since where i have felt," he paused, "negatively about it." He held her eye, "For what it is worth, I am sorry for that."

"Thank you, Eddie." She smirked and leaning over the desk, picked up his hat and dropped it casually back on his head in an off-kilter fashion, "and I apologise for sort-of letting a lion savage you a little."

"Thank you, dear," moving his head to the side to emphasise the uneven tilt, he turned his face up to meet her fully, "now I would suggest that we should we kiss and make-up to seal the apologies but I feel that doing so may result in another mauling? On my behalf that is."

Chuckling softly, Selina had to admire his silver-tongue. She had observed him using it on a number of the female clients, who hired him as an investigator, to wring more money out of them with it but with her there was always an underlying fondness to their occasional flirting which she found comforting.

Standing quietly, she walked around the large, oak table before leaning into his personal space and placed a firm kiss on his cheek, "That is the best you will be getting," she confirmed before perching on the edge of the table, "and I still want you to acquire those blueprints for me."

"For you, Selina? Anything."


End file.
